[Hulk01]

Oregon isn't vaguely comparable to teams like Alabama and Clemson, even with a decent quarterback.  They have an elite running back and several very fast wide receivers and a strong collection of tight ends.  But here' something that points out the brobdingnagian and growing difference between Oregon and elite teams.

In the last three recruiting class, Alabama has signed 29 defensive players ranked at 4.0 or above.

Oregon has signed six. 

Oregon has only one player in the next three graduating classes who ranks in the top five at his position in his class: Freeman.  USC has 11.  Stanford has 12. 

God help me if I risk looking up how many Alabama has.

Oregon's front seven on defense is gone--from a team that allowed almost 40 points a game. 

Oregon was a much deadlier team when they had elite defenders.  There was that ungodly collection of linebackers in Dion Jordan, Kiki Alonso, and Clay, some elite DLs (Armstead and Buckner in their last two classes are expected to both start this year), and playmakers behind them like Ifi Ekpre-Olumu.  There's no sign of a defensive player on their team in the class of any other those guys. 

And it's not an unstoppable offense at its best--even with a QB like Mariota.  Over a period of seven quarters and one overtime, Stanford held them to just 14 points.  A very good defensive line can throttle the zone-read, as LSU and Stanford proved. 

I can see why someone might call them "quietly good."  I don't see them making much noise this fall.  They're still well ahead of Colorado, Arizona, Cal, and Arizona State, and they play a pathetic OOC schedule.  They will get lots of easy wins.  But there are more tough wins on their schedule, thanks to their weaknesses on defense, than they've had since Harbs arrived here.

[Hulk01]

Oregon isn't vaguely comparable to teams like Alabama and Clemson, even with a decent quarterback.  They have an elite running back and several very fast wide receivers and a strong collection of tight ends.  But here' something that points out the brobdingnagian and growing difference between Oregon and elite teams.

In the last three recruiting class, Alabama has signed 29 defensive players ranked at 4.0 or above.

Oregon has signed six. 

Oregon has only one player in the next three graduating classes who ranks in the top five at his position in his class: Freeman.  USC has 11.  Stanford has 12. 

God help me if I risk looking up how many Alabama has.

Oregon's front seven on defense is gone--from a team that allowed almost 40 points a game. 

Oregon was a much deadlier team when they had elite defenders.  There was that ungodly collection of linebackers in Dion Jordan, Kiki Alonso, and Clay, some elite DLs (Armstead and Buckner in their last two classes are expected to both start this year), and playmakers behind them like Ifi Ekpre-Olumu.  There's no sign of a defensive player on their team in the class of any other those guys. 

And it's not an unstoppable offense at its best--even with a QB like Mariota.  Over a period of seven quarters and one overtime, Stanford held them to just 14 points.  A very good defensive line can throttle the zone-read, as LSU and Stanford proved. 

I can see why someone might call them "quietly good."  I don't see them making much noise this fall.  They're still well ahead of Colorado, Arizona, Cal, and Arizona State, and they play a pathetic OOC schedule.  They will get lots of easy wins.  But there are more tough wins on their schedule, thanks to their weaknesses on defense, than they've had since Harbs arrived here.